Pine ridge Nebraska turkey hunting

JadamG21 · Feb 18, 2019

A buddy and I are headed out to NW Nebraska to turkey hunt 4/24-4/28. I saw where some guys went out last year. It sounds like there will be a good deal of hunting pressure. Any info from guys familiar with the area will be greatly appreciated. Thank you much!

Witherall13 · Mar 2, 2019

We are headed to Crawford 4/25-4/29, antelope and deer hunted there last year had a blast. Be my first trip to that are for turkey.

OnX maps or something similar is a must.
Good binos
Great shoes
Be willing to walk a lot.

pointingdogsrule · Mar 2, 2019

Lots of room to get away from the crowds. I'll be there 4/27 - 5/1. Have fun guys

Witherall13 · Mar 2, 2019

Where you guys staying at?

pointingdogsrule · Mar 2, 2019

Witherall13 said:
Where you guys staying at?

If you stay in Chadron (25 miles from Crawford)…. the best place to stay in my opinion is the Westerner Motel. Russ the owner is real nice and gets lots of hunters. I've stayed there at least a dozen years and no bad experience ever. You can back up to your room door (no steps). Clean your bird out back. He has even let me use his freezer when I had multiple birds. You won't find a nicer person. This is a small (40 rooms) local motel with probably the lowest $ in town. 1-308-432-5577.

TheGrayRider · Mar 2, 2019

+1for Russ at The Westerner Motel. Stayed there turkey hunting many times. Get away from the roads and you will find birds. You will have a great time!

PrairieHunter · Mar 2, 2019

pointingdogsrule said:
If you stay in Chadron (25 miles from Crawford)…. the best place to stay in my opinion is the Westerner Motel. Russ the owner is real nice and gets lots of hunters. I've stayed there at least a dozen years and no bad experience ever. You can back up to your room door (no steps). Clean your bird out back. He has even let me use his freezer when I had multiple birds. You won't find a nicer person. This is a small (40 rooms) local motel with probably the lowest $ in town. 1-308-432-5577.

It's not bad but sometimes depending on who is cleaning it can leave a bit to be desired. That is the last of the locally owned motels that I am aware of. I stayed at the old motel 6 during deer season and it was under new management and called Americas Best Inn or something like that, and going downhill quickly. The new Holiday Inn put a hurt on the other places in town it seems.

The real news in Chadron is that there is a new Runza.

If someone wants a different lodging option the cabins at Chadron state park or rooms at Ft Robinson are good options. Both have RV sites as well.

The best time to hunt turkeys up there is in the Fall. Very few turkey hunters around in the fall and you can shoot 4 if I remember correctly. I lost interest after living there for one year as they are everywhere, especially on 385 South of town as I got used to seeing them every day and dodging them on the road.

Witherall13 · Mar 3, 2019

Ive been staying in Crawford at the Crawford Inn the owner is a good guy, big bow hunter himself. Local folks seem more than happy to give what advice they can. I’ve been twice and never come home empty handed. Heck I skip seasons at home just to go to Crawford.

BrentD · Mar 3, 2019

JadamG21 said:
A buddy and I are headed out to NW Nebraska to turkey hunt 4/24-4/28. I saw where some guys went out last year. It sounds like there will be a good deal of hunting pressure. Any info from guys familiar with the area will be greatly appreciated. Thank you much!

After watching Marcus and his pal's videos of Turkey hunting in NE last year, thought it would be pretty empty out there.

madtom · Mar 3, 2019

I’ve gone the last two years for 2-3 day mid week hunts. Always camped and had a good time. It won’t be lonely but not that hard to get away either.

Witherall13 · Mar 3, 2019

Got to be willing to get out of the truck and walk a ways is what I found out, it’s become one of my favorite areas to go.

NYyotekiller · Mar 3, 2019

I’d like to go out to Nebraska for their early archery season one year being that it opens on March 25. A whole 5 weeks before our season opens here in New York.

Witherall13 · Mar 3, 2019

#1 reason I like Nebraska, it’s early season give me some place to go before season opens at home in Missouri. Went last August for opening week of archery antelope (toughest hunt I’ve ever done) then back for opening of rifle deer season. I love turkey hunting and decided to head back out there taking my Captain from work hoping to get him on his first spring turkey.

pointingdogsrule · Mar 4, 2019

NYyotekiller said:
I’d like to go out to Nebraska for their early archery season one year being that it opens on March 25. A whole 5 weeks before our season opens here in New York.

NOTE: "IF" you go early have place to hunt (in the Chadron area). Early in the season most of the birds are the river bottoms looking for food (this is PRIVATE land … 99%). They don't move up into the hills until things warm up (PUBLIC land).

Epfd217 · Mar 13, 2019

If you go early, or even in April, plan for snow and cold. Temps could be 10-90 and you may see snow and winds. One year, I tucked tail and left early to avoid getting 12" of snow and being snowed in.

You will see people occasionally, but there is a ton of room to roam.

Dusktalk · Mar 14, 2019

pointingdogsrule said:
NOTE: "IF" you go early have place to hunt (in the Chadron area). Early in the season most of the birds are the river bottoms looking for food (this is PRIVATE land … 99%). They don't move up into the hills until things warm up (PUBLIC land).

Think April 7th through the 14th will be getting warm enough to get them “moving up”? I sure hope so. We are taking our first trip out this year. Figured we would get there that last week of archery in hopes of beating the crowds, have the opening weekend of fun season in case we haven’t gotten it done. Fingers crossed.

PrairieHunter · Mar 14, 2019

If you want to just see a bunch of turkeys there will be a couple hundred sitting near Table road about 3 miles west of 385. There is also another couple hundred if you drive east of town on 20 and hang a right on Pineview near the museum of the mountain man and go to the back where it connects with Bordeaux. There are also several groups that will be along 385 in the morning.

To be perfectly honest private land hunting the turkeys around there is not even a challenge as the birds are half tame and live in peoples back yards, barns, corrals, etc... Most of those birds never go on public land and stay in the same place nearly year round. To call it hunting is a stretch in many cases. $100 a day per gun is a typical rate for private access.

Chasing them in the hills can be fun but also a lot of work, there are also birds over in the antelope country around Crawford. This is also a good time to get out the map and find those off the beaten path walk in areas as many of those have an ag field of some sort and a group of turkeys that live on the property.

Be prepared for anything as far as weather and get out if a bad snow storm is coming.

Dusktalk · Mar 14, 2019

PrairieHunter said:
If you want to just see a bunch of turkeys there will be a couple hundred sitting near Table road about 3 miles west of 385. There is also another couple hundred if you drive east of town on 20 and hang a right on Pineview near the museum of the mountain man and go to the back where it connects with Bordeaux. There are also several groups that will be along 385 in the morning.

To be perfectly honest private land hunting the turkeys around there is not even a challenge as the birds are half tame and live in peoples back yards, barns, corrals, etc... Most of those birds never go on public land and stay in the same place nearly year round. To call it hunting is a stretch in many cases. $100 a day per gun is a typical rate for private access.

Chasing them in the hills can be fun but also a lot of work, there are also birds over in the antelope country around Crawford. This is also a good time to get out the map and find those off the beaten path walk in areas as many of those have an ag field of some sort and a group of turkeys that live on the property.

Be prepared for anything as far as weather and get out if a bad snow storm is coming.

Thanks, PrairieHunter. I just want a Meriam (like most of everyone else that goes out there). That’s the closest state to drive to for us to chase them.

pointingdogsrule · Mar 16, 2019

PrairieHunter said:
If you want to just see a bunch of turkeys there will be a couple hundred sitting near Table road about 3 miles west of 385. There is also another couple hundred if you drive east of town on 20 and hang a right on Pineview near the museum of the mountain man and go to the back where it connects with Bordeaux. There are also several groups that will be along 385 in the morning.

To be perfectly honest private land hunting the turkeys around there is not even a challenge as the birds are half tame and live in peoples back yards, barns, corrals, etc... Most of those birds never go on public land and stay in the same place nearly year round. To call it hunting is a stretch in many cases. $100 a day per gun is a typical rate for private access.

Chasing them in the hills can be fun but also a lot of work, there are also birds over in the antelope country around Crawford. This is also a good time to get out the map and find those off the beaten path walk in areas as many of those have an ag field of some sort and a group of turkeys that live on the property.

Be prepared for anything as far as weather and get out if a bad snow storm is coming.

PH: you know the area well. It's amazing to see how the "private" has changed. Many years ago you could gain access. Within the past few years lots of the land has been leased by outfitters.
PS: quit giving out all my "top secret" hunting places

Maybe I'll look you up this spring when I am in the area and say HI. Should be there the first week in May. (by your knowledge I am assuming you are a local).

pointingdogsrule · Mar 16, 2019

Dusktalk said:
Think April 7th through the 14th will be getting warm enough to get them “moving up”? I sure hope so. We are taking our first trip out this year. Figured we would get there that last week of archery in hopes of beating the crowds, have the opening weekend of fun season in case we haven’t gotten it done. Fingers crossed.

I've been there in late April with snow

Good luck and have fun.

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